Three-compartment six-door washer and extractor

ABSTRACT

Laundry washer and extractor having a perforate wash drum rotatable on a horizontal axis, partitions within the drum dividing the drum into three like compartments, separate access doors for each compartment disposed adjacent each compartment partition, and a surrounding stationary shell for retaining wash and rinse water, and having a sump and rain valve and having an arcuate doorway in one side thereof extending from levels above and below the drum axis by amounts substantially the circumferential width of the drum doors, and a door for the arcuate shell doorway.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Max Hertig; 3,357,214 12/1967 Chenderlin 68/143X Peter J. Meier, Syracuse, N-Y. FOREIGN PATENTS [211 P 8,973 634,616 2/1928 France 68/143 ml PM 1969 747 685 10/1944 German 68/143 [451 Patented May 4, 971 y [73] Assignee G. A. Braun, Inc. Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Syracuse, N.Y. Attorney-F. B. Keiper [54] THREE-COMPARTMENT SIX-DOOR WASHER AND EXTRACTOR 2 Clai 4 D F l "wing ABSTRACT: Laundry washer and extractor having a per- [52] US. Cl 68/143, fo -ate wa h drum rotatable on a horizontal axis, partitions 68/210 within the drum dividing the drum into three like compart- [5 l Int. Cl ments eparate access doors for each compartment disposed 1306f 37/10 adjacent each compartment partition, and a surrounding sta- [50] Field of Search ..68/l43, 210 tionary hell for retaining wash and rinse water and having a sump and rain valve and having an arcuate doorway in one [56] References C'ted side thereof extending from levels above and below the drum UNITED STATES PATENTS axis by amounts substantially the circumferential width of the 3,129,576 4/1964 Werner et a1. 68/ l 43 drum doors, and a door for the arcuate shell doorway.

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PATENTED HAY 41971 sum 3 OF 3 INEVENTORS ATTORNEY.

- .TIIREE-COMPARTMENT SIX-DOOR WASHER AND EXTRACTOR I This invention relates to a drum-type laundry appliance of the washer extractor type, divided into three sections with provision for loading and unloading from one side.

More particularly, the invention is directed to a drum divided into three sections or compartments each occupying approximately one-third of the drum, and bounded by l of the cylindrical periphery of the drum, with each compartment bounded by three like partitions extending inwardly tangentially of the shaft to provide a shaft enclosure. Adjacent one partition of each compartment in the outer wall is a loading door, and adjacent the other partition of the compartment is an unloading door, the unloading door being employed when the adjacent partition is inclined downwardly to afford a gravity discharge and the loading door being employed when disposed above the axis of the drum, whereby a substantially vertical drop of the dry laundry into the compartment is provided for, to assist gravity in the loading thereof. The three compartments thus employed'provide a relatively uniform loading upon the drive during wash, and assures balance and elimination of vibration during centrifugal extraction.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. I is a front elevational view of the laundry appliance, with the outer loading door in open position; 7

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. I; and

FIGS. 3-and 4 are diagrammatic views showing the drum positions for loading, and unloading respectively, for one of the three sections.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an outer cabinet 20. having a horizontal axis washing and extraction drum 22 having a heavy shaft 24 journaled in end bearings indicated at 26 and 28, the drum being driven by a motor (not shown) through a multiple-belt drive 30. The drum comprises circular endwalls indicated at 32 and 34 welded or otherwise secured to the shaft and connected together about the periphery by three sets of three tubular members 36,38 and 40, all nine being equally spaced about the drum.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drum is divided into three like compartments by three partition forming members, 42 each having a portion 44 extending from a tubularme'mber' 38 tangential to the shaft 24, to a break or bend 40, and a second portion 46 extending outwardly to an offset about a tubular member 38, the second portion 46 being in back-to-back relation with the tangential portion 44 of the dividing wall of the adjacent compartments. The portions 44 and 46 forming each dividing wall are provided with integral ribs 48 and 50 in backto-back relationship for form'a tubular relatively square stiffening column. The outer ends of the sections 44 and 46 are offset around opposite sides of the tubular members 38 as at 552 and 54. The ends of the partition members are secured to the drum ends to form a rigid structure.

Each compartment or section of the drum is provided with two like access doors 56 and 58, one being disposed between the tubular members 36 and 38, and the other between the tubular members 38 and 40. The tubular members 36 and 40 are partially enclosed by U-sectioned door frame members 60 which extend parallel with and in spaced circumferential relation to the offsets 52 and 54, which form a portion of the doorframe. Arcuate end members 62 and 64 complete the doorframe. Except in the six areas encompassed by each of the doorframes the drum is provided with a heavy perforate cylinder wall 66.

In each doorframe, there is disposed a door such as 68 or 7 including framing 72, an interior wall 74, a hinge 76 and a sliddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying 2 ing pin door lock 78, the pins 80 and 82 being adapted to be projected into apertures inthe end frame 64, to maintain the door closed, or to be retracted to permit the door to be swung outwardly to the open position.

It will be understood that the drum rotates within a wash water retaining shell 84, which is provided with a sump 86 and drain valve 88. The shell is provided with an arcuate opening 90 extending from a level 91 below the axis of the drum to a level above=as indicated at 95. Such opening is adapted to be closed by an arcuate door 92, which may be shifted from the opening position by the handle 94 to the closed position as indicated by the handle position at 94', the lower edge of the door 93, when closed, being received in a transverse slot 96, the door being angularly slidable from the closed to the open position in arcuate door guides 98 disposed in spaced relation from the exterior of the cylindrical shell.

The cabinet is provided with a large front opening between the upper cover plate I00, and the lower front apron 102. A sling chute may be provided for gravity loading as indicated at 104, or manual loading may be effected. Such loading will be effected through any one of the drum doors 70, when disposed in the approximate position shown in FIG. 2, and as also indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 3, the open being indicated at 70'. Unloading is effected by gravity onto a conveyor or into a sling conveyor through any one of the doors 68 when in the position indicated by the open door 68'. It can readily be seen that loading each of the compartments A, B and C, may be quickly effected, with loads of like weight, in each compartment to provide a balanced drum, and that unloading is readily achieved by gravity as indicated in FIG. 4, the compartment partition forming members, affording smooth inclined skidways for the damp laundry to slide out. By reason of the three compartments, it will be seen in FIG. 3, that in loading, dry laundry is readily received by the drum due to the 'substantially vertical drop within the drum compartment below the door.

With all three compartments filled with uniform loads, the tumbling of the drum in wash or rinse fluid contained in the shell 84 places a relatively uniform torque load upon the driv ing motor, and during centrifugal extraction at higher speeds, the drum will be balanced whereby to eliminate vibration. The doors of each compartment tend to center the wash load in the space therebetween where the wash load is readily compressed, but as soon as unloading takes place the wash load readily slides through the door 68 into such conveyance as may be provided. The shaft 24 is enclosed by the partitions 42, and provides no irregularity in the surfaces formed by the portions 46 of the partitions to interfere with gravity discharge. In practice, drum rotation may be counterclockwise as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, particularly during unloading and loading, so that the drum may first be moved to the position shown in FIG. 4, for unloading compartment A. Thereafter the drum may be advanced about 40 to the position shown in FIG. 3. Further angular advances of 80, bring the doors 68 and 70 of compartments B and C, in successive positions for unloading and loading, in a single revolution.

While a single modification of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

We claim;

I. A laundry appliance comprising a perforate wash drum rotatable on a horizontal axis, partitions within the drum for dividing the drum into three like compartments, two separate access doors for each compartment one door being disposed immediately adjacent one compartment partition and the other door immediately adjacent the other compartment partition, a surrounding stationary shell for said drum for retaindrum is provided with a central shaft extending through the entire axis of the drum, and the compartment partitions extend substantially tangential to the shaft and define a triangular sectioned enclosure for the shaft. 

1. A laundry appliance comprising a perforate wash drum rotatable on a horizontal axis, partitions within the drum for dividing the drum into three like compartments, two separate access doors for each compartment one door being disposed immediately adjacent one compartment partition and the other door immediately adjacent the other compartment partition, a surrounding stationary shell for said drum for retaining wash and rinse water, and having a sump and drain valve and having an arcuate doorway in one side thereof extending from levels above and below the drum axis by amounts substantially the circumferential width of the drum doors, and a door for the arcuate shell doorway.
 2. A laundry appliance according to claim 1, wherein the drum is provided with a central shaft extending through the entire axis of the drum, and the compartment partitions extend substantially tangential to the shaft and define a triangular sectioned enclosure for the shaft. 